Day 12 in Brazil and this Irish girl is starting to pick up a little Portuguese plus a tan..well a few more freckles! I arrived in Rio late on the 12th of November and first stop was Ipanema beach and my hostel Casa 6. Day 2 had a fantastic tour of Rio with a a company called Brazilian Expedition we started by going up to see the hang gliders take off and float down towards the coast. I never realised Rio has the largest and second largest urban forests in the world: Floresta da Tijuca, or "Tijuca Forest." Then on to lunch in the bohemian quarter of Santa Theresa where we tried a traditional pork dish in a local restaurant. Christ the Redeemer was spectacular even when the clouds floated in to eclipse it and then ... read more